Short Review: Volkl V-Werks Katana

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Originally Posted by milkman

Great thread. I'm thinking of pulling the trigger on some KVW 191 or 188 Rustler 11's to replace my 186 Confessions. I already have a BMT 109 for touring, so these would be dedicated resort......Anyone skied both? I'm 6ft 170lbs and ski mainly Whistler...

Guess I could entertain selling the 109 and do the KVW with Duke PT's as a one ski resort/touring pow quiver (also have Mantra M5's for low snow days)....

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I have 191 VWK with M Werks King Pins and 186 BMT 109’s with Dynafit Rotations. Also have the 122 and 94.

I originally bought the VW Kantana’s as a resort cross over ski back in 2017 after demoing them and being blown away. I also demoed the 109’s and found them similar, but definitely more mellow.

Later bought 109’s to use as a dedicated BC ski as they are lighter and that difference is noticeable on long hauls and, as much as I like the 109’s, I have many times found their speed limit on big open faces and wished I had the Katana’s.

I swapped out the original Kingpins on my Katana’s for the lighter and easier to step into M Werks Kingpins which mounted in the same holes. This helped a bit with weight, but lately I have been contemplating getting a pair and mounting them with Alpinists or ATK raiders which would shave off another 300 grams.

Last spring I brought both the BMT 109’s and Katana’s on a Heli Assist back country trip where we skied some big challenging terrain. I started out on the 109’s and quickly switched to the Katana’s as they were so much superior skiing big steep terrain at speed. 109’s are great for trees and more mellow terrain, being softer, more rockered, and more progressively mounted and I love the looser more slavery feel for the average day, but they don’t hold a candle to the Katana’s for big mountain skiing.

I have the mtn and they are bomber

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Yeah, I'm at 1.5 cm forward

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I recently changed bc boots from an older Maestrale to the new Atomic Carbon Backland XTD 120, with a shorter bsl. So that effectively changed my mount point from +1 to +1.5. But for what ever reason I feel like they’ve kind of lost that loving feeling, like I can’t drive them the same anymore. Flex of boots seems similar, forward lean is supposed to be within a degree, binding delta hasn’t changed….I can’t imagine that being half a centimeter further forward makes them harder to drive.

Anyway, it’s got me itching too try something new in the bc.

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Originally Posted by zion zig zag

I recently changed bc boots from an older Maestrale to the new Atomic Carbon Backland XTD 120, with a shorter bsl. So that effectively changed my mount point from +1 to +1.5. But for what ever reason I feel like they’ve kind of lost that loving feeling, like I can’t drive them the same anymore. Flex of boots seems similar, forward lean is supposed to be within a degree, binding delta hasn’t changed….I can’t imagine that being half a centimeter further forward makes them harder to drive.
Anyway, it’s got me itching to try something new in the bc.

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Recommend double checking the delta. Even though the binding is the same , rocker soles on AT boots effectively vary the delta depending on how high the off the ski the pin holes are. Recommend double checking the delta.

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Originally Posted by turnfarmer

Recommend double checking the delta. Even though the binding is the same , rocker soles on AT boots effectively vary the delta depending on how high the off the ski the pin holes are. Recommend double checking the delta.

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What’s the best way to check the delta?

https://wildsnow.com/10733/get-up-ri...for-your-ramp/

Wildsnow (RIP)

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Originally Posted by 1000-oaks

My pair is mounted with Duke PT, which put the heel a few mm higher than Griffon. Could be part of it.

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IIRC Due PT is 10mm heel high and Griffon is 5mm heel high.

10mm is a lot.

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Originally Posted by turnfarmer

IIRC Due PT is 10mm heel high and Griffon is 5mm heel high.

10mm is a lot.

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I believe the Salomon MTN is 8.5mm. But it makes sense that a shorter BSL would create more angle. Although I'm not sure how much a 10mm BSL change would make. And it seems like any way to "measure" the angle of the footbed in the binding would be subject to too much error to mean all that much?

Heads up, I will be selling my 2015 katana 184 with atk raider bindings and coltrex near new glue skins. Bindings mounted with jig at 300. I will check how much range each has off that. Bases and edges in good condition except one very small edge compression. Topsheets also in good condition. Two previous mounts for kingpin and griffin for bigger boot than mine. custom skins for skis bought new, under 6,000’. Will separate skis and skins (Duke pt filling in?) but not bindings.

I also will have as close to a pristine version of 2016 bare carbon 186 bmt 109 with the newest alpinist 10 binding bsl 300. Pulled dynafit rotation off these that seemed like new. Bindings have not been skied. Took worthless silicon vacuum glue off custom skins and reglued with pomoca. Will not separate binding. Should get pictures up in gearswap in a few days.

Hey Cat, I’ll take those bmts but you need to clear out your inbox so we can continue figuring out the details.

Interested in the katanas, and also tried to send you a pm to your full inbox. Shoot me pm and clear your inbox and let's chat. Cheers.

Looks like these got updated for this season, anyone had them in hand yet?


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Originally Posted by ezgzy

Looks like these got updated for this season, anyone had them in hand yet?


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Yes, I have a set of ‘24 on hand bought in the Spring sales because I feared that Volkl was going to discontinue them.

No hole in the tip for skins and a blockier, more “modern” tip shape. Otherwise they appear much like my old ones. 1930 grams

Weird to me that Volkl still sees this ski as enough of a meaningful part of its lineup that they gave it updates but not enough to push “new tip tech” marketing or the like in any of the usual outlets in advance of the season.

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Originally Posted by singlecross

Yes, I have a set of ‘24 on hand bought in the Spring sales because I feared that Volkl was going to discontinue them.

No hole in the tip for skins and a blockier, more “modern” tip shape. Otherwise they appear much like my old ones. 1930 grams

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1930 for 191??


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Originally Posted by Skip Dooley

1930 for 191??


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No, 184cm. I’m a Hobbit.

isn't it the exactly same ski as always, just without the skin hole in the tip and some graphic changes that makes it appear slightly different (some optical illusions)?

Redesigned = new graphic in Völkl marketing speak, new = new (duh I know).

It is still a killer ski though, so I am glad that it has not been killed off like the BMTs. I am kinda curious how much they cost to produce compared to say a blaze. The carbon heavy construction and milled out core must equal a pretty damn expensive construction - even if the molds are a decade old by now.

Attachment 500271

Old tip vs. new tip

If I put one on each foot to ski, I doubt that I could tell the difference. Al least I hope so, the old ones were rad until the sidewall started separating ( helped by some low tide rock strikes).

oh, nice, thanks for posting - so some differences going on in the tapering up front there for sure, perhaps they will be slightly looser.

Any change in the rocker profile as well, or in the taper out back? Or rec mount point?

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Originally Posted by kid-kapow

Any change in the rocker profile as well, or in the taper out back? Or rec mount point?

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No, everything else looks exactly the same

Hello, I have here V-Werks Katana 21/22 and 24/25 here side by side. Ski length is 191.

The older model has been so perfect to me that I wanted to have a spare pair. I am less than 80 kilos and a bit short of 180 cm.

Yes the tips are somewhat of different shape. The sidecut seemed to be the same on rest of the ski - base to base.

I cannot tell for sure, but it seems that at least part of the carbon laminates are placed differently in these two models. The 24/25 model has the carbon laminates on the surface clearly visible, as is the surface structure along the carbon laminate type and direction to be seen. This varies along the ski length. That is not the case with the 21/22 model, where the carbon laminate structure seems equal along the ski.

I am going to return the new 24/25 pair to the shop, as to me, it seems there is a problem:

Here is the problem: Völkl says that the 191 ski is 2002 grams
My other 24/25 ski weighs 2006 grams which is quite right. But the other ski weighs only 1919 grams. The difference in weight is 85+ grams. Started weighing the skis as my hand told me to do so. I could feel the difference.
The model 21/22 has weight difference of 21 grams, but that was with bindings.

The sport shop representative told me that this kind on weight difference of 85+ grams is normal with long and wide skis. I cannot believe that claim. Especially taking into the consideration that V-Werks Katana is somewhat premium ski.

Wanted to hear others comments on this as I am old enough to not start playing with anything half proper. Btw. the product number on the side of the 24/25 skis is the same.

Any comments on this?

Cheers KO

I've weighed quite a few expensive skis that were 85 grams apart. It's not all that uncommon. I had a pair of Salomon MTN Lab 184's (that was the 114mm ski) that were 84 grams different and toured on them for most of a season. Didn't notice the weight difference on the way up or the way down, YMMV.

^^same. I have and ski a couple of resort pairs that are 80-90g apart, like 2450/2540. I can't tell. I put a couple stickers on the lighter ones to psychologically balance them out.

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Skis are assembled by human beings. Manufacturers strive for consistency, but the amount of resin, the weight, and the skiing characteristics are inevitably going to vary. World Cup racers ski multiples of the “same” ski, apparently sensitive to minor variations, but I’m not. I’d suggest that on powder/all terrain ski like the V-Werks Katana, this doesn’t matter in the slightest.

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Originally Posted by kootenayskier

Skis are assembled by human beings. Manufacturers strive for consistency, but the amount of resin, the weight, and the skiing characteristics are inevitably going to vary. World Cup racers ski multiples of the “same” ski, apparently sensitive to minor variations, but I’m not. I’d suggest that on powder/all terrain ski like the V-Werks Katana, this doesn’t matter in the slightest.

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Like everyone above said this is pretty normal. Mike McCabe, CEO of Folsom, was on the Blister podcast a while ago talking about this. One of the things he mentioned is that wood being a natural product has a ton of variability no matter what you do and can absorb resin at different rates.

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Originally Posted by flatlands

Hello, I have here V-Werks Katana 21/22 and 24/25 here side by side. Ski length is 191.

The older model has been so perfect to me that I wanted to have a spare pair. I am less than 80 kilos and a bit short of 180 cm.

Yes the tips are somewhat of different shape. The sidecut seemed to be the same on rest of the ski - base to base.

I cannot tell for sure, but it seems that at least part of the carbon laminates are placed differently in these two models. The 24/25 model has the carbon laminates on the surface clearly visible, as is the surface structure along the carbon laminate type and direction to be seen. This varies along the ski length. That is not the case with the 21/22 model, where the carbon laminate structure seems equal along the ski.

I am going to return the new 24/25 pair to the shop, as to me, it seems there is a problem:

Here is the problem: Völkl says that the 191 ski is 2002 grams
My other 24/25 ski weighs 2006 grams which is quite right. But the other ski weighs only 1919 grams. The difference in weight is 85+ grams. Started weighing the skis as my hand told me to do so. I could feel the difference.
The model 21/22 has weight difference of 21 grams, but that was with bindings.

The sport shop representative told me that this kind on weight difference of 85+ grams is normal with long and wide skis. I cannot believe that claim. Especially taking into the consideration that V-Werks Katana is somewhat premium ski.

Wanted to hear others comments on this as I am old enough to not start playing with anything half proper. Btw. the product number on the side of the 24/25 skis is the same.

Any comments on this?

Cheers KO

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So is it that there’s an 85 gram difference between right and left skis of the same pair? Or 85g average difference between the pairs?

Either way it doesn’t matter at all.


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Thank you for your input. Appreciated.

I am, however, sending the skis back as it seems my 21/22 pair is better balanced. The 24/25 pair was intented to be a spare pair - a warranty kind of. I like the 21/22 model so much.
I do understand that skis are somewhat unequal to each other. A competition cross country skier may have selected his/her 30 pairs out of 60 or more. Consumers will get the leftovers. And befor the compatition athlete makes his/her selection the manufacturer has put most similar skis onto pairs.

The weight difference is so that the other ski is lighter and the other ski is heavier. The difference is 85+ grams. There is a 2 cm difference in the balance point between skis too. Maybe that is not something that woild have an effect on anything.

The skis are ready to have a trip back.

Cheers KO

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